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CINEMA AND
THEATRE
C A T H S Editorial

HISTORICAL SOCIETY
VICTORIA INC. This issue of CinemaRecord is my first as the new Editor of the maga-
ABN 37 195 378 179 zine. With this edition a number of new features have been introduced in
Reg A0020747R a new-look format which includes a members Picture Gallery; expanded
The aims of CATHS are: to record the histories; articles; news and of course lots more photos! A publishing
history of cinemas and theatres, and to committee has now been formed, as I believe a team effort will produce
promote interest in theatre heritage and the best possible results. I look forward to your suggestions and com-
architecture, and other related areas. ments and always welcome any assistance.
Patrons: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Peter O'Reilly and Stan
Frank Van Straten OAM Peter Smith Gunn for their great efforts in developing the magazine in the past.
Elaine Marriner Philip Brady Martin Powell

Committee:
President: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 dozen or so seats, and just as comfort-
Vice President: ably load them onto the truck. We must
Peter Wolfenden 9744 2570 Letters have looked like part of an Abbot and
Secretary: Mike Trickett 5278 1986 Costello movie as, seated on the old
Treasurer: Barrie Wraith 9435 9785 green seats and viewing the following
★ traffic with a certain amount of disdain,
Archivist: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 Well Done Peter we motored slowly up Swanston Street
Assistant: Dean Brandum: 9471 4171 Congratulations must be extended to in peak hour back to the Museum.
Central Victoria Coordinator: Peter O’Reilly for the great job he did From memory, about six seats were
Fred Page 5444 0428 as editor on CinemaRecord — a most positioned to the left inside the Science
Gippsland Co-ordinator: professional job indeed!! main door (next to the symphonium), six
Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 Being Editor is another one of those
Events Co-ordinator: jobs that are often in the thankless role. seats near the just completed
Brian Miller 9557 7446 If one does a good job, quite often no Planetarium, and the rest throughout the
Publications Sales: comments are heard. If a poor job is Science complex. In the following years
Garry Saunders 9812 7227 done, the sky falls in. these seats were warmed by many a bot-
Membership Secretary: Peter O’Reilly Congratulations and best wishes tom, just as they had been at the Capitol.
oreillypeter@primus.com.au Peter, and welcome in Martin. We just The coziness of the Science Museum
CinemaRecord & Internet Editor: know you too are going to do a great and the quietness of the winter’s night
Martin Powell 9786 9158 job. (we didn't close until 10pm in those
martin@interdomain.net.au Noel Kerr days) sometimes saw several vagrants at
CATHS website: a time settle themselves in those com-
www.vicnet.net.au/~caths Of Seats & Mice & Vagrants fortable old seats and soon nod off. A
Postal address: Over the years I have heard, “Ladies family of mice, permanent residents,
PO Box 476, Bentleigh 3204. and Gentlemen, take your seats.” seemed to accept them quite well also.
However, in this particular instance, it Now and again, when the night was
Membership was, "Ladies and Gentlemen, lower dragging and my eyes heavy, someone
Annual membership subscription is $35, your seats.” would feed the symphonium a penny
and members receive four copies of And that’s what we did — literally! and the music box notes of The Merry
CinemaRecord, notification of events, We lowered the old Capitol dress circle Widow or Rusticana would hang in the
and copies of the agenda and minutes seats by ropes down to the ground floor. quietness, and reality would slip away.
of all meetings. There is no joining fee. As I recall, the theatre was in semi- It was then I rather fancied Laurel and
Meetings Hardy, or maybe Charlie Chaplin, could
Meetings are held on the last Sunday of darkness and in the course of extensive have been sitting in those old Capitol
February, April, June, August, October & alterations. Dust was everywhere.
November. Meetings start at 10am at I was reminded of that part of my seats, happily keeping the vagrants
The Sun Theatre, 8 Ballarat St, Yarraville. work history on reading ‘The Capitol company, and just as happily, ignoring
Archives Theatre – Melbourne’ by Rod Cook, in the many inventions around them.
The archive will be open between CinemaRecord, Issue 30. The old Science Museum has long
9.30am and 1pm on the Saturday Actually, I wasn’t an employee of shifted, and so have the seats, the mice
before each meeting (see above), and the Capitol, I was an Attendant from and the vagrants. The latter two I know
at other times by appointment with the the Science Museum at the top end of not where; but the seats will have found
archivists. Swanston Street. Items were continual- a home someplace. They were afterall
Publications ly being donated to the Museum — old — stout, strong and supremely com-
Back issues of CinemaRecord and various plans, books and inventions, but theatre fortable!
other publications, CDs and videos are seats, this had to be a first! Kevin Brandum
available at meetings. Items also avail- On that particular afternoon, our Postscript:
able by mail, please contact Garry supervisor had asked, “Anyone want to After some years as an Attendant in the
Saunders on 9812 7227 for details. pick up some seats at the Capitol?” As Science Museum, I went on to become
Events we bunched forward he laughed, an Inspector of Factories and Shops.
Activities of the Society include theatre “You'll need the Museum truck.” And Part of my territory for checking shop
inspections, country, interstate and so down to the Theatre went half a registrations was the Capitol Arcade,
international tours, swapmeets and the dozen Attendants, a dozen ropes and a right next to the Capitol, indeed part of
annual Film Buffs Weekend.
couple of pulleys. The government the old Capitol. (No prize for guessing
stroke saw us comfortably lower the where a movie buff went after work! ★

4 Autumn 2001 CINEMARECORD